Tag

data roaming

18

FEB

2014

Data roaming, if left unchecked, can add up quickly and leave you with a bill totaling hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Each major US carrier offers their own international data roaming plans, many of which can drain your wallet after just one day of data usage abroad.

An average person uses about 250MB of data a day and depending on your carrier, this can cost you anywhere from $50 to $3750. If you have T-Mobile and want to use their free international data roaming, make sure to read the fine print. The data speeds are limited to 2G, or around 128 Kbps, which is 160 times slower than you are used to back home. It could take you several minutes to open a single web page. If you want to increase your speed to 3G/4G with T-Mobile’s plan, you will have to pay $15 to $50 for 100 to 500 megabytes of data roaming. A normal day’s usage of 250MB of data on this plan will cost you $25 per day! And remember this is only for your phone, as T-Mobile doesn’t allow tethering, meaning you cannot share the data with your laptop or tablet – you still must find a solution to connect them to the network.

An alternative to paying costly data roaming fees is to rent an international mobile hotspot. Many Wi-Fi services overseas are unprotected, slow, and hard to find. With XCom Global’s mobile hotspot rentals, you can achieve download speeds of up to 21.6 Mbps, enjoy an extended battery life, and utilize advanced security protection wherever you go. You can connect up to 10 Wi-Fi enabled devices including a tablet, smartphone, and laptop, all for a flat rate of $14.95 per day for unlimited data. The mobile hotspot’s portability allows you to keep it in your pocket or backpack so it never leaves your side. View the infographic below to get a better idea of how much your phone and apps can cost overseas and what you can save on roaming fees by renting from XCom Global.